Palazzo Davanzati is a 14th century Florentine house which is open to the public. I go often when I am in Florence. I am usually showing visitors, but I go when I am alone as well. I love it.
the very impressive crest on the front of the building
the lock on the front door
the steps leading up from the internal courtyard
The house has had lots of owners over the centuries, who have all left their mark. A good deal of effort has been applied to make the house look as authenic as possible. The rooms are decorated as they might have been in the 15th and 16th centuries. I love the decoration on the walls and the furniture and details that show how people, wealthy ones anyway, lived centuries ago.
the parrot room
The living room is called the pappagallo, or parrot room, because of the birds decorating the walls. I love it. I could spend hours looking at the detail.
a cupboard in the wall
You can see the tiny birds painted in the patterns on the wall.
one of the bedrooms
a baby's cot
decoration on the doorway
a simple bathroom
There is another bedroom on the next floor with different decoration and an unusual style of fireplace.
the decoration on the upstairs bedroom wall
the fireplace in the bedroom
the ensuite off the bedroom
Thos bathroom was bigger and the opening at the back would probably have allowed a servant to fill the bath without entering the bedroom.
the toilet
There are a few toilets in the house. They are fairly basic arrangements consisting of a tube which probably emptied into the street.
elaborate detail everywhere
There is a room on the first floor with examples of hand made lace and some clothing pieces from past times. There are simple looms and the equipment for bobbin lace. It must have taken hundreds of hours to make some of the pieces that people wore.
beautiful examples of hand made lace
Palazzo Davanzati is in Via Porta Rossa, 9. It is open most weekday mornings until 1.00pm. It only costs 2 euro to see this wonderful house and museum – worth every cent.